From: Ken Mosher <ken at spatulacity.com> on 2004.11.01 at 20:32:09(12331)Like many of us, I check eBay from time to time just to see who's offering
what. I officially propose that the next person that lists any species of
Amorphophallus accompanied by the words "rare bizarre" be officially
prohibited from touching another tuberous aroid or showing his/her face
amongst civilized society ever again.

First, they're not that bizarre. American politics are bizarre, Amorphs
haven't been bizarre for a while now. Maybe vaguely unusual is OK.

Konjac, paeoniifolius and bulbifer no longer count as rare, ever, for any
reason. OK, if you have one that spontaneously combusts and then bursts
forth anew from it's own ashes (ssp. phoenixiodes) then one of those is
rare. The way titanums are popping up these days I practically expect to
find one growing in the cracks in my walkway. Call them uncommon, but not
rare any more.

Some of us do the aroid thing for a profession, like our beloved Lord P.,
some for an educational and fun (and expensive) hobby, and some of us for
fun and money (as much of both as possible, no guilt here). All of us share
a love of these (vaguely unusual) plants in a growing community that we'd
like to see continue to grow (pun unintended).

Let's please join the grown-ups and take the subject with a little more
seriousness of intent. Have fun, it's not worth it if we don't, but if
we're going to be taken seriously and spread our aroid-loving disease to as
many unsuspecting innocents as possible then we need to make sure we do
business scrupulously.

If you're selling a bulbil, offset or seedling, say so plainly and clearly.
There are general public and newcomers who can't tell the difference. If
you're calling something "huge," please make sure that it really is big for
that species. A 6" konjac or paeoniifolius isn't huge. The tuber Scott sold
was huge. There's a difference between RARE and rarely offered. In my
opinion the words weird and bizarre are just never appropriate. It's fine
to get creative in sales text, but it ought to be objective at the same time.

Some of you may consider me a complete wanker for writing this, but over
the last month I've seen so much that's inappropriate that I just can't
shut up any more. I'm sure a bunch of you will agree with me, too.

-Ken

P.S. This wasn't aimed at any particular seller. I was making comments
about numerous listings by many sellers that I've come across this season.

P.P.S. I've also seen many listings that were accurate and unembellished,
some of which were also accompanied by compelling treatises on the joys of
growing Amorphs. In my humble opinion this is what eBay is all about.
_______________________________________________
Aroid-l mailing list
Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: "Bamboo Chik" <bamboochik at earthlink.net> on 2004.11.02 at 09:20:02(12332)Ken, I agree with you on this. Although, I am not into those particular
aroids, I am into Alocasia and Colocasia. I have yet to see a really "rare"
one listed in years, but you wouldn't know that from the auctions! I think
if I see "Alocasia Robusta Borneo Giant" advertised one more time, I will
do something dangerous...LOL....then there is the person who advertises an
Alocasia Mac Borneo Giant only to tell you in the auction that it is "like"
the Borneo Giant....false advertising.....OH YES!!!!

I know that many of the auction sellers are also members of this group even
if they do stay in the background, so maybe they will take heed...then
again....maybe not...b.f.n...deb/S.AL

> [Original Message]
> From: Ken Mosher
> To: Aroid list
> Date: 11/2/2004 10:35:34 AM
> Subject: [Aroid-l] Mini rant
>
> Like many of us, I check eBay from time to time just to see who's
offering
> what. I officially propose that the next person that lists any species of
> Amorphophallus accompanied by the words "rare bizarre" be officially
> prohibited from touching another tuberous aroid or showing his/her face
> amongst civilized society ever again.
>
>
>
> -Ken
>
> P.S. This wasn't aimed at any particular seller. I was making comments
> about numerous listings by many sellers that I've come across this season.
>
> P.P.S. I've also seen many listings that were accurate and unembellished,
> some of which were also accompanied by compelling treatises on the joys
of
> growing Amorphs. In my humble opinion this is what eBay is all about.
> _______________________________________________
> Aroid-l mailing list
> Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
> http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: RAYMOMATTLA at cs.com on 2004.11.02 at 17:27:59(12334)A plant that grows an unusually large, sometimes grotesque, sometimes phallic, most times very beautiful inflorescence....with a solitary umbrella like leaf that can get as tall or taller than a man.....that is by most people's standards bizarre. Seems like adding bizarre or rare in front of a rather uncommon, unusual or out of the norm plant's name is a marketing technique that works rather well and doesnt fool anyone. As long as the plant being marketed is the plant you get I dont see a problem with it.
_______________________________________________
Aroid-l mailing list

From: "Jeff Rosenstiel" <jjjj4 at comcast.net> on 2004.11.03 at 14:17:47(12335)Very well said!, I agree with you
100%
On ebay we are marketing to sell a item and get it
noticed, not to rip anyone off,
Jeff

----- Original Message -----
From:
RAYMOMATTLA@cs.com
To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2004 7:27
PM
Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Mini rant
A plant that grows an unusually large,
sometimes grotesque, sometimes phallic, most times very beautiful
inflorescence....with a solitary umbrella like leaf that can get as tall or
taller than a man.....that is by most people's standards bizarre. Seems
like adding bizarre or rare in front of a rather uncommon, unusual or out of
the norm plant's name is a marketing technique that works rather well and
doesnt fool anyone. As long as the plant being marketed is the plant you
get I dont see a problem with it.

From: "Harry Witmore" <harrywitmore at witmore.net> on 2004.11.03 at 14:52:42(12336)I agree with Michael on this. If you are selling anything anywhere,
marketing is one of the aspects and we all know that marketing is not always
based on the absolute truth. So, I don't see any problem using the word rare
for something as long as the picture is not deceiving. I have purchased many
things from many people on Ebay and it's pretty easy to tell those that are
trying to sell and be honest and those that are not. So, I think if you have
issues with what folks do on eBay you have an up hill battle and selling
Aroids is a pretty small part of the problem.
I imagine that some of the tubers we sale here as rare are eaten as food
elsewhere so where do you draw the line. Leave it up to each buyer to make
up his or her mind as to what is rare to them.

A plant that grows an unusually large, sometimes grotesque, sometimes
phallic, most times very beautiful inflorescence....with a solitary umbrella
like leaf that can get as tall or taller than a man.....that is by most
people's standards bizarre. Seems like adding bizarre or rare in front of a
rather uncommon, unusual or out of the norm plant's name is a marketing
technique that works rather well and doesnt fool anyone. As long as the
plant being marketed is the plant you get I dont see a problem with it.

From: "Greg Dorst" <gregg1- at charter.net> on 2004.11.03 at 15:51:15(12337)I have seen some opportunistic parting of the bucks, but a fool and their
money; and thats not right. However, there is that other group thats
lacking in any real interest in what ever they are involved in, be it
plants or exotic pets that grow up and become abandoned abused or ignored.
Caveat Emptor

From: "danny wilson" <mudwasp_ at hotmail.com> on 2004.11.03 at 22:42:11(12341)there are a few people who put up pictures along with their auctions of plants that are not the ones advertised. there was one seller selling what they said was a "huge" dracunculus vulgaris tuber. the real tuber was 2 inches across and they had pictures of A. konjac up. you have to love that!
>From: "Harry Witmore"
>Reply-To: Discussion of aroids
>To: "'Discussion of aroids'"
>Subject: RE: [Aroid-l] Mini rant
>Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2004 17:52:42 -0500
>
>I agree with Michael on this. If you are selling anything anywhere,
>marketing is one of the aspects and we all know that marketing is not always
>based on the absolute truth. So, I don't see any problem using the word rare
>for something as long as the picture is not deceiving. I have purchased many
>things from many people on Ebay and it's pretty easy to tell those that are
>trying to sell and be honest and those that are not. So, I think if you have
>issues with what folks do on eBay you have an up hill battle and selling
>Aroids is a pretty small part of the problem.
>I imagine that some of the tubers we sale here as rare are eaten as food
>elsewhere so where do you draw the line. Leave it up to each buyer to make
>up his or her mind as to what is rare to them.
>

>________________________________________
>From: aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com [mailto:aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com]
>On Behalf Of RAYMOMATTLA@cs.com
>Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2004 8:28 PM
>To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
>Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Mini rant
>
>A plant that grows an unusually large, sometimes grotesque, sometimes
>phallic, most times very beautiful inflorescence....with a solitary umbrella
>like leaf that can get as tall or taller than a man.....that is by most
>people's standards bizarre. Seems like adding bizarre or rare in front of a
>rather uncommon, unusual or out of the norm plant's name is a marketing
>technique that works rather well and doesnt fool anyone. As long as the
>plant being marketed is the plant you get I dont see a problem with it.
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Aroid-l mailing list
>Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
>http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l
Find the music you love on MSN Music. Start downloading now!
_______________________________________________
Aroid-l mailing list
Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: "Mark S Jackson" <xstrat7 at msn.com> on 2004.11.04 at 03:42:36(12343)I have found that it is "RARE" to get the truth now days.

Very well said!, I agree with you
100%
On ebay we are marketing to sell a item and get
it noticed, not to rip anyone off,
Jeff

----- Original Message -----
From:
RAYMOMATTLA@cs.com
To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2004 7:27
PM
Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Mini rant
A plant that grows an unusually large,
sometimes grotesque, sometimes phallic, most times very beautiful
inflorescence....with a solitary umbrella like leaf that can get as tall or
taller than a man.....that is by most people's standards bizarre.
Seems like adding bizarre or rare in front of a rather uncommon, unusual or
out of the norm plant's name is a marketing technique that works rather well
and doesnt fool anyone. As long as the plant being marketed is the
plant you get I dont see a problem with it.